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Public mental health and well-being

There is a clear association between well-being, good mental health and improved outcomes for people of all ages and social classes.

Why does it matter?

  • Poor mental health and well-being can have an impact on every area of a person’s life; physical health, education, employment, family, relationships, and the effects can last a lifetime.  It plays an important part of in contributing to and maintaining health and social inequalities.
  • Good mental health and well-being are associated with improved outcomes for individuals including longevity, physical health, social connectedness, educational achievement, criminality, maintaining a home, employment status and productivity.
  • Mental health is not simply the absence of mental illness.  People recovering from mental health conditions can have a positive state of well-being, and while those who do not have a mental health condition may experience low levels of well-being.
  • In the UK, mental illness accounts for over 20% of the total burden of disease; more than cardiovascular disease and cancer.
  • The annual wider economic costs of mental health problems in the UK at £110 billion a year

What can we do?

Although future costs of mental illness will double in real terms over next the next 20 years, some of this cost could be reduced by greater focus on whole-population mental health promotion and prevention, alongside early diagnosis and intervention

  • Use a life course approach to ensure a positive start in life and healthy adult and older years.
  • Build strength, safety and resilience: address inequalities and ensure safety and security at individual, relationship, community and environmental levels.
  • Develop sustainable, connected communities: create socially inclusive communities that promote social networks and environmental engagement.
  • Integrate physical and mental health, reduce health-risk behaviour and promote physical activity.
  • Promote purpose and participation to enhance positive well-being through a balance of physical and mental activity, relaxation, generating a positive outlook, creativity and purposeful community activity.

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